A Cincinnati startup that’s working to eliminate the use of single-use plastics is among 100 of the most promising tech companies from around the globe for 2022, per the World Economic Forum.
Plaine Products, a women-owned, eco-friendly, waste-free hair and skincare company based in Terrace Park, has been selected as a “Technology Pioneer” by the World Economic Forum — the organization’s growing community of the most promising early- to growth-stage companies pioneering new technologies and innovations.
The latest 100-company cohort was announced Tuesday.
Plaine Products is one of 33 companies representing North America — and the only company from the Midwest selected. Companies were evaluated based on their level of innovation, potential impact, growth, leadership ability and more.
“We’re thrilled to be included on this list of innovators,” Plaine Products CEO Lindsey McCoy said in a release. “Our process is a simple, yet powerful way to remove plastics from the waste stream. Although we know that we cannot solve the environmental issues the world is facing on our own, we do know when motivated collaborators join together, their impact has the potential to be transformative.”
McCoy co-founded Plaine Products in Cincinnati in 2017 with her sister, following a decade in the Bahamas running an environmental education group. There, the realities of “disposable culture” were harder to ignore, she said.
Plaine Products uses aluminum bottles for its products, versus typical plastic ones, and the company has developed a platform to intake empty bottles returned from customers to refill and reuse.
Plaine Products said it’s on track to divert 500,000 plastic bottles from landfills by the end of 2022.
Its products — which include shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, hair repair and beauty oil — are available for purchase on a per-item basis or via a subscription plan.
Plaine Products is available at more than 200 independent retailers around the country. The company is also planning to open a retail facility in Old Milford.
So far the company has not taken any outside investment. Plaine Products employs 10 people full time.
McCoy will be invited to participate at World Economic Forum activities, events and discussions throughout the year. Plaine Products will also contribute to forum initiatives over the next two years, working with global leaders to help address industry and societal issues.
The World Economic Forum, an international public-private cooperation, first launched the Technology Pioneer community in 2000. Prominent alumni include Airbnb, Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Spotify, TransferWise, Twitter and Wikimedia.
This year’s cohort, overall, includes startups from 30 countries, including Vietnam, Rwanda and Czech Republic, which are represented for the first time. More than one-third of selected Technology Pioneer firms are led by women, the World Economic Forum said.
